“Tethering” can include any process of using a mobile device, such as a smart phone or an Internet tablet, as a modem for another Wi-Fi-capable device (e.g., a laptop computer, a mobile device, etc.). Tethering enables sharing of the Internet connection of the mobile device with Wi-Fi-capable devices and can be performed using a wireless LAN (or “Wi-Fi”) connection, a Bluetooth connection, or a physical connection, such as USB. Virtually all 3G and 4G Android and iOS mobile devices support tethering via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and/or USB. For example, a laptop computer without a 3G or 4G network interface could access the Internet by connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspot advertised by a nearby iPhone.
Given recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) action to force certain carriers to eliminate tethering surcharges for 4 HG connectivity, it would be reasonable to expect an increase in smartphone Wi-Fi tethering, or mobile hotspots. Unfortunately, configuring a smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot is functionally equivalent to configuring a structural wireless access point. Specifically, the mobile device must be configured with a Service Set Identification (“SSID”) to broadcast and a password for authentication of devices desiring to connect to the hotspot. Devices desiring to connect to a hotspot must treat the hotspot like a conventional Wi-Fi network and select the correct SSID and enter the correct password. This degree of configuration may well be beyond the capacity of many users to complete securely.